Bourgeois Of Paris
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A bourgeois of Paris was traditionally a member of one of the
corporations A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
or
guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
s that existed under the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
. According to Article 173 of the Custom of Paris, a bourgeois had to possess a domicile in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
as a tenant or
owner Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as ''title'', which may be separated and held by diffe ...
for at least a year and a day. This qualification was also required for public offices such as provost of the merchants,
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
or
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
, but unlike the bourgeois or citizens of other free cities, Parisians did not need letters of
bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...
to prove their status. A bourgeois of Paris had privileges as well as duties. While they were exempt from paying the
taille The ''taille'' () was a direct land tax on the French peasantry and non-nobles in ''Ancien Régime'' France. The tax was imposed on each household and was based on how much land it held, and was paid directly to the state. History Originally ...
, they were required to pay the city
taxes A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...
, contribute to a public
charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...
, arm themselves at their own expense, and join the urban
militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
.


Definition

According to article 173 (previously 129) of the Custom of Paris, the "right of the Bourgeoisie" can be attained in Paris by any person "living and residing there for a year and a day." "Living and residing" meant having a personal home and staying there continuously with family as opposed to making temporary stays for business; this was proven by a receipt of rent or personal capitation. Renting a room or staying in a furnished hotel was not considered. Unlike the bourgeois or citizens of other free cities, Parisians did not need letters of bourgeoisie to prove their status. Anyone who owned a home in Paris intra-muros as an
owner Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as ''title'', which may be separated and held by diffe ...
or tenant and had resided there for over a year was considered a bourgeois of Paris. There were no other conditions such as heritage or an
oath Traditionally, an oath (from Old English, Anglo-Saxon ', also a plight) is a utterance, statement of fact or a promise taken by a Sacred, sacrality as a sign of Truth, verity. A common legal substitute for those who object to making sacred oaths ...
, unlike in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
at the same period.


Duties and privileges of the Bourgeois of Paris

The privileges of the Bourgeois of Paris were numerous and diverse and varied greatly from decade to decade. The list published in 1884 in '' L'Intermédiaire des chercheurs et curieux'' (The Intermediate of the Researchers and Curious) gives a glimpse into the variety of these privileges. Laurence Croq, who dedicated a thesis to studying the Bourgeois of Paris in the 18th century, explains that this status had a polymorphous characteristic. The first privilege of the Bourgeois of Paris was being allowed their own set of customary rules: the
Coutume de Paris Old French law, referred to in French as , was the law of the Kingdom of France until the French Revolution. In the north of France were the ''Pays de coutumes'' ('customary countries'), where customary laws were in force, while in the south wer ...
. The second privilege of the Bourgeois of Paris was the right for merchants to be organized into bodies. These bodies received certain privileges from the
king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
, such as the right to have a seal, a common fund, and a "parlor for Bourgeois" (city hall); the right to defend itself, to close itself, and to administer itself; and the right to have its own justice and its own police force.


Privilege of jurisdiction

According to Article 112 of the Custom of Paris, the Bourgeois of Paris cannot be forced to plead in
defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...
anywhere other than Paris, including in civil matters for purely real rights.


Fiscal privileges

Fiscal privileges were numerous; those maintained until the Meeting of the Estates-General in 1789 included: * Exemption from the
Taille The ''taille'' () was a direct land tax on the French peasantry and non-nobles in ''Ancien Régime'' France. The tax was imposed on each household and was based on how much land it held, and was paid directly to the state. History Originally ...
, including income from property in the countryside in the jurisdiction of the ''Vicomté de Paris'' (the Bourgeois of
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of ÃŽle-de-France, ÃŽle-de-France region in Franc ...
,
Poissy Poissy () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the ÃŽle-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Inhabitan ...
,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
s,
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,
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, and several other large cities had the same privilege); * Exemption from the right of freehold, granted by Charles VI in July 1409 and suppressed by
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
; * Right to
wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
the wine of one's own home without the ministry of ''jurés-crieurs'' and without being required to register the sale, and to import it into Paris without paying the
tariff A tariff or import tax is a duty (tax), duty imposed by a national Government, government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer. Exceptionally, an export tax may be levied on exports of goods ...
s; * Exemption from the
mortmain Mortmain () is the perpetual, inalienable ownership of real estate by a corporation or legal institution; the term is usually used in the context of its prohibition. Historically, the land owner usually would be the religious office of a church ...
and the right of mortmain on a property in mortmain throughout the kingdom. *


Some privileges identical to those of the Nobility

The Bourgeois of Paris were given some privileges almost equal to the
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
's, the oldest being the exemption from
mortmain Mortmain () is the perpetual, inalienable ownership of real estate by a corporation or legal institution; the term is usually used in the context of its prohibition. Historically, the land owner usually would be the religious office of a church ...
, from the
Taille The ''taille'' () was a direct land tax on the French peasantry and non-nobles in ''Ancien Régime'' France. The tax was imposed on each household and was based on how much land it held, and was paid directly to the state. History Originally ...
, and freehold to benefit from the noble guard. At an early period, the Bourgeois of Paris received the right to wear a
helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
and/or crested
coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...
and to carry a
sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...
from King Charles V. According to Chateaubriand, "
Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...
granted letters of
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
to all the Bourgeois of Paris; Charles VI,
Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
, Francis I and
Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
confirmed these letters of nobility. Paris was never a commune because it was ''franc'' by the mere presence of the king." Henry III restricted this privilege in 1577 to the Provost of the Merchants and the
Aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
alone. It was suppressed in 1667, restored in 1707, suppressed again in 1715, and finally restored in 1716, which remained until the end of the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
. The Bourgeois of Paris also enjoyed the right to the noble guard, who were called the Bourgeois Guard when serving them.


Birth of the bourgeoisie in Paris

The oldest
corporations A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
or
guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
s in Paris were the clothiers, grocers,
haberdasher __NOTOC__ In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a men's clothing st ...
s, and furriers. The water merchants, heirs of the "", monopolised the
Basilica of Saint-Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and archite ...
and the ''Grande Boucherie'' (lit. Big Butchery) and constituted a third power along with the
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
and the French
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
that consecrated the Great Ordinance of the provost of merchants in 1357 In 1190, before leaving for a crusade, King Philippe Auguste wrote his
will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
and placed six "loyal men" at the head of the provosts: Thibaut Le Riche, Athon de Greve, Evrouin Le Changeur, Robert de Chartres, Baudouin Bruneau and Nicolas Boucel.Alfred Fierro, ''Histoire et dictionnaire de Paris'', Éditions Robert Laffont, coll. « Bouquins », 1996, 1 590 p. (). The ''Livre des métiers'' (Book of trades) and the ''Livre de la taille'' (Book of the
taille The ''taille'' () was a direct land tax on the French peasantry and non-nobles in ''Ancien Régime'' France. The tax was imposed on each household and was based on how much land it held, and was paid directly to the state. History Originally ...
), written under provost Étienne Boileau, allow readers to learn about the rising status of the Bourgeoisie. Holders of registered occupations were considered to be Bourgeois. During the 13th century, numerous Bourgeois dynasties were built, including the Sarrazins, Barbettes, Bourdonnais (see ''rue des Bourdonnais''), and Pisdoe or Pizdoue.


Bourgeois of Paris families still in existence today


13th century

* Pizdoe family, four provosts of the merchants of Paris. Many
aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
. In the history of the capital, it was the dynasty that ruled Paris during the longest period. The Pédoüe was also one of the principal landowners of Paris in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. *Bourdon family from the rue des Bourdonnais. Two provosts of the merchants. *Marcel family, one provost of merchants: Étienne Marcel, instigator of the Cabochien revolt. Several
aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
. *Cocatrix family, a provost of merchants. Several
aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
. *Sarrazin family, a provost of the merchants. Several aldermen. *Barbette family, Étienne Barbette, provost of merchants of Paris. Several
aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
. Rue Barbette was created in the 16th century on one of their properties


16th century

* Cochin family, politicians, a prefect, historians. Founders of the Cochin Hospital.


17th century

*Chebron family, Sieur de Bonnegarde and Cardonne. Councillor of the King in the election of Paris. Hereditary Office of Comptroller General, former triennial of the seventh part of the Annuities of the Town Hall. Letters of the Bourgeoisie. Anointed on July 24, 1697. * de Lens family (
goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...
s of
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans ''Monsieur'' Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (21 September 1640 â€“ 9 June 1701) was the younger son of King Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria, and the younger brother of King Louis XIV. He was the founder of the House of Orléans, a ...
.), also
Bourgeois of Brussels In City of Brussels, Brussels, as in most European cities, one needed the capacity of Bourgeoisie, bourgeois (equivalent to German Burgher (title), burgher or English Burgess (title), burgess; in French ''bourgeois'' or ''citoyen'' ''de Bruxelle ...
. *Martin de Bussy and Martin de Boulancy families. * de Silvestre family. * Vandive family, a branch of the van Dievoet family,
Bourgeois of Brussels In City of Brussels, Brussels, as in most European cities, one needed the capacity of Bourgeoisie, bourgeois (equivalent to German Burgher (title), burgher or English Burgess (title), burgess; in French ''bourgeois'' or ''citoyen'' ''de Bruxelle ...
. * Bruté de Rémur family, silk merchants.


18th century

*Simonneau-Dubreuil family (1776). Rue des Saints-Pères (related to the family of Saunières, including Henry de Saunières, commissioner of sizes and militia steward of
Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...
around 1740). *Billon family (1702) *Gaudart family *Rocquet family *Chebrou family (1770). Also Bourgeois of
Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; ; ) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the urban area. Geography T ...
(see Chebrou families de La Merichère, Chebrou de Beugnon Chebrou La Foucardière, Chebrou des Loges Chebrou Brush, Chebrou Lespinats, Chebrou La Rouliere, Chebrou Petit-Château and all collateral family ties). *Chevauché family (filiation followed since 1687, documented as Bourgeois of Paris since 17317). *Marguet family, from which the theater
actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
Amant is born. *de Villiers family, Jean de Villiers (1712-1786) descendants of painters. *de Gisors family, cousin of the de Villiers family, descendants of
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
s. *Louis family, Claude Germain Louis Devilliers. *Maillé family, at the origin of the Royal Manufacture of Spalme.


Notes and references


See also


Bibliography

* Laurence Croq, ''Les « Bourgeois de Paris » au XVIIIe siècle : identification d'une catégorie sociale polymorphe'', thèse de doctorat en histoire, Université de Paris-I, 1998 . * Jean Favier, ''Le Bourgeois de Paris au Moyen Âge'', Éditions Tallandier, 2012, 670 p. . * Mathieu Marraud, ''De la Ville à l'État. La Bourgeoisie parisienne -XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles'', Paris, Albin Michel, coll. « Bibliothèque Histoire », 2009, 552p. . * Mathieu Marraud, ''La Noblesse de Paris au XVIIIe siècle'', Paris, Le Seuil, 2000, 576 p. {{ISBN, 978-2020372107. * Bonneserre de Saint-Denis, ''Armorial du Parlement de Paris'', 1862.


See also

*
History of Paris The oldest traces of human occupation in Paris date from about 8000 BC, during the Mesolithic period. Between 250 and 225 BC, the Parisii (Gaul), Parisii settled on the banks of the Seine, built bridges and a fort, minted coins, ...
*
Bourgeois of Brussels In City of Brussels, Brussels, as in most European cities, one needed the capacity of Bourgeoisie, bourgeois (equivalent to German Burgher (title), burgher or English Burgess (title), burgess; in French ''bourgeois'' or ''citoyen'' ''de Bruxelle ...
*
Bourgeoisie of Geneva The inhabitants of the seigneurie and the Republic of Geneva were divided into four orders of people:Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Collection complète des œuvres de J.J. Rousseau : Œuvres mêlées, 1776, p. 451 the Citoyens, the Bourgeois, the Habitant ...
*
Seven Noble Houses of Brussels The Seven Noble Houses of Brussels (also called the Seven Lineages or Seven Patrician Families of Brussels; ; ; ) were the seven families or "Lineage (anthropology), lineages" whose descendants formed the Patrician (post-Roman Europe), patricia ...
*
Guilds of Brussels The Guilds of Brussels (; ), grouped in the Nine Nations of Brussels (; ), were associations of craft guilds that dominated the economic life of Brussels in the late medieval and early modern periods. From 1421 onwards, they were represented in ...
* Étienne Boileau * Etienne Marcel * Cabochien revolt * Israel Silvestre * Van Dievoet family


Authority

Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at :fr: Bourgeois de Paris; see its history for attribution.
Economic history of Paris Estates (social groups) Bourgeoisie